Sweet Saturday Sample/Contemporary-Military

Lin pulled her cramped little car up to the curb at the school and shut off the engine so it wouldn’t overheat. She knew Nate would probably be embarrassed that she was picking him up. He hated his friends to see the ancient beat up car that was all she could afford, and as far as she knew, he hadn’t told anyone they lived in a motel. That wasn’t a bad thing anyway, since it was safer that way. But she and RJ had been out for the afternoon anyway and she’d thought to save Nate the long walk back to the Tidewater.

The passenger side of the car opened and Nate surprised her by dropping into the seat. She hadn’t even heard the bell, but sure enough, middle school kids were crossing the front of the school, getting on one of the buses or walking toward the road that would lead them to their homes.

Lin smiled at her oldest. “Hi, did you have a good day?”

Nate shrugged. “I guess. Can we leave now?”

Choking back a tight sensation in her throat, Lin turned the key in the ignition. The car coughed to life and she pulled into the traffic lane, trying to ignore the stab in her heart when Nate slumped into his seat. Tears burned the backs of her eyelids but she blinked them back. Her children deserved so much better.